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7 Myths About Becoming a General Transcriptionist

If you search online, you’ll find a LOT of information about becoming a general transcriptionist.

Unfortunately, a lot of this information is misinformation. While I’d like to tell you that this misinformation is just an honest misunderstanding of what a career as a general transcriptionist actually entails, I’m afraid that most of it is generated by training companies who just want your money.

Transcription is challenging work, but you can train from home and work from home or anywhere you have access to a computer with an internet connection. It is not, however, a get-rich-quick-while-laying-around situation. You will have to train and practice before you can begin to enjoy the benefits of a work-at-home career as a general transcriptionist.

Myth #1: General Transcriptionists just need to type really fast

Being a fast typist is definitely PART of the skill set required to become proficient as a general transcriptionist, but it isn’t the only skill required. In addition to excellent typing skills, you will need:

Myth #2: General Transcriptionists Need Little or No Training

This particular myth seems to be the most common. I don’t know how or why this one got started, but nothing could be further from the truth. No matter how great of a typist you are, you are going to have to train before you can begin a career in general transcription. General transcription may take slightly less training than legal or medical transcription, but you still need to train. It’s more than “listen and type.” There are so many variables involved with the types of work produced by general transcriptionists. Training is essential. And no, a course offering three sample exercises is definitely not enough!

Myth #3: General Transcriptionists Will Be Replaced with Speech Recognition Technology

Quite the opposite is true! Yes, speech recognition has been around for some time already, and yet, it still isn’t able to transcribe audio to text with any acceptable degree of accuracy. When you’re dealing with multiple speakers, as we often do, you can forget about it altogether. It just doesn’t work. Period. There is now, and for the foreseeable future, a need for human beings to perform transcription services.

Myth #4: The Popularity of Video Will Replace the Need for General Transcriptionists

Again, this is completely untrue and, in fact, the opposite is true. The increase in video popularity has only increased the opportunities available for qualified transcriptionists! Why? Because the search engines cannot index video. Anyone who is doing anything online, whether they be marketing, training, or interviewing, needs the written text to accompany their video presentations.

Myth #5: Most General Transcription Work is Being Outsourced Overseas

Some work is being outsourced. There’s no question about it. People are looking for cheap labor. But, with over 30 years of experience, I can assure you that anyone who does outsource is almost always disappointed with the results they receive. There just isn’t any way that a non-native English speaker can understand and transcribe all the nuances of the English language.

Myth #6: General Transcription is for Women

What? Ridiculous! More and more men are coming onboard every single day. Where once any type of occupation that required “typing skills” was considered secretarial in nature and performed almost solely by women, that is no longer the case. The change in our economy and lifestyles have lured many men to look outside the box for employment. It’s an open playing field for both sexes.

Myth #7: General Transcription is a Low Stress Occupation

Ummm… not really. Yes, GTs enjoy the many benefits of working our own schedules and from the comfort of wherever we’d like, but get a gig with some rough audio and you might want to pull your hair out. When I first started, I had this crazy idea that typing was a very “Zen” activity. Ha! It might be if you were just typing while listening to some meditation music or something, but that is not what we do. You must have a very good ear and the ability to focus. Some of the garbled language that comes out of our headphones can be a challenge – to say the least.

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Comments

You have really enlighten me. I am presently pursuing the mini course. Please tell me how I can get the study guide and to join the group. I really want to study, so that I can get right the first time.

Thank you so much for this article and your free mini-course. Due to various circumstances, I’ve had to reconsider freelance transcription as a full-time job again and couldn’t be more grateful for your courses.

I don’t see why not, Laura. I have clients in all English-speaking countries. We all speak the same language, just with different accents and, sometimes, spelling. We cover that in our general transcription course. 🙂

Hi again,
Now I see where I am having issues with the transcriptions course… I have difficulty with concentration, new computer programs and although you do teach by example, I have a real problem with memory… this all compiles into a great frustration when trying to transcribe all but the easiest of files and certainly not on a timed basis! When I hear more than three words, I have to go back and replay to make sure I heard it right, because my typing hasn’t caught up… I ordered a foot pedal and that should help a little but this sure is an uphill battle. I’m not sure I’m in the category of people who can do this… five minute audios take me 2 hours… is that normal?
Chris

Transcription is a skill to be mastered and, just like anything we want to become really good at, it takes a lot of practice. That’s why there’s so much practice dictation in the course. Don’t be so hard on yourself! Actually, you’re doing it right. We’re supposed to stop and go, stop and go. That’s how transcriptionists work. You’ll develop muscle memory and a good ear only through practice. I sense your frustration, but you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can improve with — you guessed it — practice. I think I’ve overused that word, but it’s how we become excellent transcriptionists. Have faith and persevere.

Hi,
I have been a medical transcriptionist for over 30 years. Because of the use of voice recognition and electronic medical records, many MTs are being “phased out.” There will always be a need for editors but I prefer transcription to editing voice recognition but the pay for editing is ridiculously low. I am a very accurate and speedy transcriptionist and feel as though I could transcribe the medical report much quicker than editing voice recognition. So, I am looking for other kinds of transcription. I would love to transcribe a book or short stories or something like that. Where do you suggest I go to get a list of authors that use transcriptionists, or any other sources of those looking for transcriptionists. I just came across your blog and website today when I Googled, “authors that use transcriptionists.” I will be delving more into your information but I am desperate for a job and need to work now. My husband and I are on social security and we used to depend on my job to help with living expenses. Phew…it’s not easy on social security! I would rather be doing something productive and making a decent living at the same time. Any advice you can offer is much appreciated.

I started as an MT too, but quickly branched out into general and legal transcription for the reasons you’ve mentioned. Have you signed up for our free mini-courses in general and legal transcription? If not, I suggest that as your first step in getting started. You can enroll here:

Transcription is not like any other simple work-at-home job out there. Don’t let anyone fool you. As a beginner, training is a much. And, if you skip the training you will pay for it in one way or another. I’ve personally taken the free Mini-Course and I would encourage anyone thinking of venturing into transcription to do the same.

Another myth, you just sit on the computer and type what you hear. At least, that is what I thought when I started. I almost quit in the first month. You have to do a lot of research, especially business/financial transcription projects, for you to get the terminologies right. You sit for long hours and get fatigued most of the times. You have to know how to run softwares etc. But, once you get the hang of it, everything just falls into place.

Thanks, Virginia, for providing another reality check from someone who does this for a living. Although we love what we do and the lifestyle it affords us, transcription is not an easy gig. If you’re looking to make fast money without doing the work, which includes preparation and study, this isn’t the right fit for you.

Absolutely! It takes a while for one to establish herself/himself as a professional transcriptionist. Going in with a get-rich-quick mentality will do more harm than good. That’s why I always encourage beginners to get formal training.

I tried transcription years ago, before the nerve damage set in. I was good at it. But now I want to get into it, not sure if to make a career, but really could use income. My computer went out so I’m waiting on a new computer. Would the mini course be the best place for me to start or do I need to refresh my typing. I think I’m still at about 25-28wpm. Is the listen, stop, type thing normal?
Thank you.

You can start at your current typing speed. We provide drills to help you increase both your speed and accuracy. And, yes, stopping and starting is the way we work. I’m not sure of the extent of your nerve damage, so I don’t know if you’d really be able to handle typing or sitting for long periods of time. Only you can answer that question. Of course, you will need your new computer. Try the free mini-course. It’ll help you decide whether or not transcription really is the right choice for you.

I don’t know if it’s possible to transcribe ‘into’ another language. Maybe for live TV? But you’d probably be listening to an actual intepreter and transcribing their speech, no? I think it would be impossibly difficult to translate and type simultaneously — but someone can correct me if that assumption is wrong.

I have done some freelance work for a language versioning company. They produce other-language versions of films and television shows. So, first, the film/TV production company provides their transcript of the piece to the language versioning company. Then, someone at, or hired by, the language versioning company carefully copy-pastes the transcript line-by-line into an Excel template that includes line number, time code, speaker, etc. and a blank column named ‘target language’. This Excel document is provided to a professional translator, along with the original video as reference. The translator fills in the ‘target language’ column with their translation of each line/voice-over/onscreen text/whatever. The finished translation is used by the various actors who are hired to record the other-language audio. The audio from these sessions is cleaned up and edited together to match the video. Finally, as lines are sometimes changed slightly during recording, someone has to listen to the final audio and edit the target language column as needed so that it reflects the final audio and therefore serves as an accurate transcription of this version of the piece.

Thanks for the great blog on misconceptions about being a transcriptionist. I own a Legal Transcription Services company. I’m sure some of your readers would find our low cost legal transcription options to be a great value for their company.

Hi! I’m a seasoned advertising writer, now freelance and this sounds great. I would like to learn the craft to supplement my advertising work. My question for you is, why do you offer this course at no charge?

The mini-course is offered free of charge to give folks an idea of what transcription really is…and what it isn’t. There are too many misconceptions out there. It’s a chance for people to determine whether or not it’s the right choice for them before spending money or wasting their time on additional training. These seven mini-lessons are an introduction. If a person decides that it is a good fit for them, they can proceed with our paid training.

Thanks for pointing out that a good transcriptionist means more than someone who types really fast. I am sure that being able to type fast would play a huge part in your ability to succeed at a job like that, but I also liked what you mentioned about the self-motivation and self-discipline required to work effectively from home on your own. I would think that when hiring someone to transcribe for me I would look at all of these, as well as their personality when deciding who to use.

It’s not that non-native English speakers wouldn’t be welcome. It means that my ability to train them and their ability to learn what needs to be learned would be exceedingly difficult. The nuances of English grammar and punctuation are difficult for even native English-language speakers to master. I couldn’t, in good conscience, enroll anyone for whom this isn’t a good fit. It would be setting unrealistic expectations for the student.

A laptop is totally suitable. That’s what I use. 🙂 There is some additional software and possibly some equipment (foot pedal and headset) that you’ll need as well. However, we provide links for our students to purchase these items with an exclusive student discount. You don’t need anything other than your computer with an internet connection to start. Please don’t buy anything yet.

You mentioned flexible hours. Would transcription be a good side-job for someone already working a full time job? I am looking to make extra money on evenings and weekends. Also generally speaking, how does the pay work?

Transcription is the perfect side gig. You can work from home and around your current schedule. The rate of pay varies on a number of factors. Have you enrolled in our free mini-course yet? It’ll answer your questions and help you make an informed decision.

My personal feeling is 70 wpm is a fast enough typing speed, so I’m right in the middle of the 60 to 80 wpm that you’ve read about. Anywhere in that ballpark is probably fast enough. Bottom line: The faster you type, the more you earn. What’s surprising is how quickly you can increase both your speed and accuracy with just a little practice.

I just enrolled in your course! I have been transcribing for about a year, insurance claim transcriptions. The most frustrating part is when you’re on a learning curve and you can’t see the top of the curve! But, I can attest practice and repetition are almost miracle work! The questions and responses here are are especially motivating! Thanks so much!

Yes, a computer with an internet connection is required. A laptop is fine. That’s what I use. We have one student who uses an iPad, but he has a regular keyboard plugged in. I don’t recommend an iPad or tablet for ergonomic reasons, but if it’s working for him, it’s not for me to say it’s not possible to make it work.

do you get any leads to breaking into medical transcription from this course? I have a CMAA certificate which included medical terminology, yet I can’t break into working at a medical office to use it. I did take a summer college course of medical terminology refreshing myself and getting a A- in it. I would love to find a ‘in’ so I could do this type of work, preferably for decent money and have continued work available for me.

Although I began my career as an MT, I no longer offer those services, nor teach it. Unfortunately, the demand for MTs has decreased pretty dramatically with the adoption of the electronic medical record. Our focus is on training general and legal transcriptionists, where the demand is actually growing.

I have been working in transcription as an independent contractor for almost a year now. I have worked with a transcription company that has provided me with work. However, the pay isn’t very good. I’m wondering if it would be worth it to try and start my own business, but I don’t know how to start. Would getting certified be worth it? I don’t have a lot of money to spend on something that wouldn’t work.

I don’t know what type of transcription services you’re providing (i.e., general, legal, or medical) and, without that information, it’s hard to say whether certification is something you should pursue. As for starting a business, it’s something you should consider carefully. We give our students the tools and resources needed to work as a subcontractor for the larger companies and/or develop their clientele. Everyone’s situation and goals are different, so there’s no right way to do it. Maybe enrolling in our free mini-course will help you decide. You can find it here:https://www.transcribeanywhere.com/mini-course

“There just isn’t any way that a non-native English speaker can understand and transcribe all the nuances of the English language”

I cannot believe you said this, non native speakers that started learning English in their early age have a good chance of being as fluent as native speakers, I am from Croatia and good percentage of us speaks English fluently, and it is not seldom that I reveal new words and phrases to people from UK and US, not to mention how many of us study abroad and have normal grades, it is just people who don’t use English as often who have a problem of understanding native speakers when they speak locally or really fast.

Great information!
I would like to know how I can practice improving my typing skills before venturing into this work. I think I’m at about 27wpm. I’ve seen many typing courses online but they didn’t seem worthwhile. Any really good ones for transcription practice?

Thank you for this information. I am currently enrolled at Career Step for Medical Transcription/Editor certification, and I am hearing that the editing portion is still going to be a valuable role due to, as you stated, “speech recognition has been around for some time already, and yet, it still isn’t able to transcribe audio to text with any acceptable degree of accuracy”. So, I’m hopeful to find work as an editor, but it sounds as though transcribing for general or legal services might actually be a better direction for me. Do you think that continuing in my MT certification program from Career Step will help me win a position outside of the medical realm?

I really wish these schools would stop promoting the lie that MT editors are in great demand. They’re not and the pay stinks. Ask around some medical transcription communities and you’ll see that it’s true. Will your skills as an MT prepare you for work in general transcription? Maybe. You’ll learn the mechanics of transcription. MT training is long on terminology, anatomy and physiology, but short on grammar and punctuation. There’s an art to taking the recorded word and turning it into a readable text document. It takes training and practice. I don’t know your current skill level, so I can’t give you a definitive yes or no. The other important aspect is learning how to obtain clients outside of the medical field. We cover all of it in our course. I hope that helps.

I’ve just read an advertisement for Law Enforcement transcription, they specifically need someone experienced in police, sheriff, etc. I’m thinking that could be an interesting field to get into. Have you heard of, or have any experience in that area?

I do have experience in that area and it’s part of our legal transcription course. It’s one of my favorite types of transcription to do. As you can imagine, you hear a lot of really interesting stuff! I love it!

It’s not racist. It’s honest. I stand by my statement and my many successful students will back me up. Our native-English speaking students have a very difficult time with the grammar and punctuation modules. It’s even more difficult for those for whom English is not their first language. Our courses aren’t designed to teach ESL students. You may be the exception to the rule and kudos to you.

I have just finished reading the information you have provided for the person(s) interested in persuing an “at-home” job. I do have experience in general transcription which was part of my job responsibilities as a secretary some years ago and I also, took a class in GT in college. I am interested in taking your mini-course. I do have a desktop and laptop computer with internet with access to different search engines which you mentioned earlier. I have Microsoft Word (Version 10). I am thinking of purchasing the WordPerfect software and wondered if that would be acceptable in the GT field. Do you have any other suggestions? Thank you.

I wouldn’t purchase WordPerfect. MS Word is the far and away leader in the word processing field. I, personally, haven’t used WordPerfect in many years; although, I do remember that I loved it. There are a few in the legal field who still use WP, but not many. Unless a client specifically requests it, it’s not worth investing your money into purchasing it.

I type 56 wpm with 90% accuracy. I need a work from home job desperately. I share a vehicle and am at home all the time. After the free mini course, where do I go from there? Do I just look for people hiring transcriptionists? I just do not want to get scammed and need a better source of income.

Training and practice is required before you’re ready to offer your services as a transcriptionist. It involves much more than the ability to type. We offer more comprehensive courses. You’ll find the details here:

I am starting my transcription work from home and have medical and legal transcription experience (8 years military hospitals/knowledge, Worker’s Comp Claims, and police reports – murder investigations, statements from children{abuse}, accidental death interviews, etc.) and I type 65 wpm.
What type of transcription jobs would suit my skills?

Your past experience would fall mostly under the category of legal transcription. There are other types of work that legal transcriptionists do, such as trials and depositions. With your experience, you’re already ahead on the learning curve. With some training in the other areas, you’d be well qualified to seek legal transcription work.

I just enrolled in the mini-course. I’ve been looking for a job I could do from home, as I have some physical issues that prevent me from working a high-demand job (which covers just about all available jobs in my town)

I’m a senior citizen and a self-employed window cleaner for 42 years, also a former 18-wheeler driver for 2 years. I used to transcribe Paul Harvey’s, “The Rest of the Story,” years ago for my own amusement and very much enjoyed doing it. I’m looking for something like this to do at home on my PC and General Transcription looks like it would work for me. I thought I’d try your mini-course and see if it’s a good fit for me. Any suggestions?

I think you’ve taken the first and most important step by enrolling in the mini-course. It’ll give you loads of information and help you decide for sure whether or not transcription is something you really want to do. Since you’ve already done some transcription and enjoyed it, that’s a pretty good indicator that it’s the right path for you.

Hi there,
I am currently working as a freelance translator of Spanish<English but am interested in getting into transcription work too. I am a native English speaker but now have Spanish nationality and live in Spain. Would that pose problems when applying for jobs?
Also, is the 7 day course only valid for 7 calendar days? In other words, do I need to be available for the next 7 days? Only, with my other work commitments that might be tricky.
I have ordered a foot pedal, so would it be better for that to arrive before starting the course?
Thanks in advance
Jacqueline

Geographic location isn’t important in general transcription since all of our work is obtained and delivered via the internet. What’s important is the quality of your work and we provide very comprehensive training. I don’t, however, recommend our legal transcription course to folks outside of the U.S. since it’s based on the U.S. legal system.

The mini-course will arrive in your email inbox, one lesson per day for seven days. You can read them, however, at your leisure. Please be sure to add me to your contact list to be sure the lessons get through to you.

You don’t need the foot pedal to begin training. There’s a lot to learn before we start actually transcribing. You’ll have time to get your equipment in order.